Por Sang–Mook Lee (Seoul National University).

Em Portugal para fazer ciência, Sang-Mook Lee partilha connosco a sua experiência de cientista ativo, apesar de tetraplégico. É uma lição preciosa de alguém que não se deixou vencer pela adversidade.

Abstract: We all die someday but we seldom think about this. I had a rare occasion to feel what is it like to die during a car accident almost 13 years ago. The incident made me realize that our lives are finite and at the same time presented me with a new burden on how one should plan the second life. I think it was Carl Sagan who said "I don't want to believe. I want to know". In a similar spirit, I would like to take you on a small personal journey since my accident where I searched for so-called 'meaning of life and our place in the universe.' I don't have the answer but at least I realize that, although our lives and the values that we impart are different and personal, the journey that we took as humanity from Big Bang, to the origin of life and the rise of consciousness, and eventually to the establishment of an advanced civilization is truly remarkable and unique. It is something we can all relate to in this world of uncertainty and should be the start point of a global dialogue.